What happens when Doomsday clock hits midnight as world is warned ahead of today's announcement

Just like Cinderella was when she lost track of time at the ball, many of us are filled with fear today about what might happen if the clock strikes twelve.

The 'Doomsday Clock', that is. Not the Casio you got for Christmas.

After spending the last 12 months warning we are just 90 seconds away from disaster - the closest it has ever been to midnight - the terrifying timepiece will be reset later today (23 January).

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, who came up with the clock concept, which is supposed to caution the world, say it is a 'metaphor, logo and brand' all at once.

Each year, a group of experts meets to assess the past year and what's currently hitting the headlines.

For instance, it had been 100 seconds to midnight in both 2021 and 2022 until some chilling developments on the world stage forced the hands to creep closer to twelve.

Last January, it was moved to just 90 seconds from disaster, largely due to Vladimir Putin launching his invasion of Ukraine and threatening to unleash a barrage of nuclear weapons.

Many people were hoping that the Doomsday Clock might rewind a bit, but given what has happened over the last few months, it doesn't seem likely.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The purpose of the huge timepiece is to warn people how close we are to 'destroying our world with dangerous technologies of our own making' each year and is intended to serve as a call to action for world governments.

And the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has told people to 'pay attention' to the positioning of their hands this year.

With war still raging in Ukraine, the Israel-Gaza conflict and climate change, it doesn't look too promising.

But what happens if the Doomsday Clock ends up striking midnight?

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists president and CEO Rachel Bronson told Metro that the team asks themselves two questions each year when assessing how close the world is to disaster.

She explained, "Is humanity safer or at greater risk this year, compared to last year, when we last set it? "

"And is humanity safer, or at greater risk this year compared to the last 75 plus years?"

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Bronson explained they look back at the key events that have caused chaos throughout the last year before deciding on a 'blunt measure' - AKA a clock time - to determine how close humanity is to catastrophe.

Rather than sparking panic, the Bulletin want to kickstart conversations between people about the future of our planet - and how we can protect it from harm.

She said many issues are 'competing for people's attention', but they hope people will 'check back in with them' to see how to make a difference.

If it does ever strike midnight on the Doomsday Clock, this means mass extinction for humans.

Bronson previously said: "When the clock is at midnight, that means there's been some sort of nuclear exchange or catastrophic climate change that's wiped out humanity.

"We never really want to get there and we won't know it when we do."